Bet You Can’t………..

Today was finally a beautiful Spring day in New England. The sun was shining and there was not a rain drop in sight.  I did a double take when the thermometer in my car was registering 63 degrees. My hope is that this weather is here to stay.

Of course on the first day of this the beautiful weather was my late day at work. I really wanted to do some sort of workout when I got home because my body just wanted to do something active before making dinner. My youngest daughter and I decided to play a game. It started with looking at nature and ended with a very competitive game of “I bet you can’t catch me?” We had a good 20 minutes of sprinting and skipping. It was so much fun! I can’t imagine what we looked like to the people driving around our neighborhood. Here is a post “race” picture. I don’t know why the balloon needed to be in the picture, but if you know Tajiah you would understand. The girl always has to have an “accessory” to pose for pictures. Diva in the making.

 After my impromptu race, I got right to work on dinner. Since it was a little later than my normal starting dinner time, I  needed to whip up something that was quick and tasty. I have many people who ask me about how I have time to cook and prepare dinner every night.  The answer is simple. I plan, plan, plan. I coordinate my busy nights with meals that either can go in the Crockpot or be prepared and to the dinner table in less than 30 minutes. One the other nights I may go with a more complicated recipe. So tonight I went with a “I bet you can create a great tasting meal in 30 minutes or less!” This is probably the easiest meal that I serve in the Mom on the Run kitchen. The combination of flavors will make your family think you spent an hour in the kitchen. 

BBQ Spiced Pork with Grilled Mango

Ingredients:

• 4 Boneless (or bone in) Center Cut Pork Chops
• 4 Mangoes cut in bite sized pieces
• 1/2 cup of Prepared BBQ Sauce
• 2 tbsp of Caribbean Seasoning (I used a pre-made one that Whole Foods sells)
• 1 tbsp of Grapeseed oil

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees or outdoor grill. Season each pork chop with a small amount of oil and Caribbean Seasoning. Make sure each side is well seasoned.

Prepared mango for grill by place a small amount of pieces onto a piece of foil. Sprinkle a small amount of seasoning on the mango.  Fold ends of the foil in forming a shell around the fruit.

Place pork chops and foil pockets onto pre-heated grill.

Some asparagus made its way on the grill to complete this meal. Make sure to watch all contents of the grill carefully, flipping both meat and fruit over when grilled on each side. When meat grilled on both sides, remove from heat and place onto a baking sheet.

Place a small amount of BBQ sauce on each chop and spread evenly. Place baking sheet into the pre-heated oven and let sauce cook through and until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Remove fruit from grill and let cool. Unwrap fruit and set aside until ready to serve pork.

Yes, in less than 30 minutes you have a great tasting healthy meal that the whole family can enjoy. The mango’s sweetness is a great pairing to the Bbq’s smoky salty flavors. Serve with a side of yellow rice and vegetables

Racing and a great meal. I bet you can’t beat that..LOL

This is how I felt today…

What are some words that you use to keep you motivated? Do you have a meal that you create in less than 30 minutes but your family thinks you worked all day in the kitchen?